Grizzly Bear “On A Neck, On A Spit”

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Shows where rock bands play with the Los Angeles Philharmonic should never be missed. In the last few years, the Phil has played with Air, Belle and Sebastian and The Decemberists, and those nights were nothing short of magical, as you sat under the stars at the Hollywood Bowl with your food and bottles of wine listening to beautiful sounds fill the air. This show had a little different twist; this time the Phil wasn’t playing with the band, but was opening for them playing songs that are similar in sound structure to Grizzly Bear, and instead of the Bowl, the show was at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The Phil, led by conductor Joana Carneiro, played three pieces for the event, Boccherini’s Ritirata notturna di Madrid; Britten’s Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes; and Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite (1919), that gave the crowd the opportunity to hear really beautiful music they may not often get a chance to see live in a place they may have never been. Following a 20-minute intermission, Grizzly Bear came on stage to a hero’s welcome and proceeded to play a set relying heavily on its Friends EP, as well as a new song “While You Wait for the Others.” While it was amazing to hear the Phil play live in the building that was made for them, the acoustics seemed to be made for Grizzly Bear tonight, with each piece of atmospheric sound seemingly oozing from the stage and hitting your ears as you sat, trance-like, marveling. By the time the band got to its closer, “He Hit Me,” all you could really do is sit in amazement; I don’t say anything like this ever, but Edward Droste has the voice of an angel, and this band, with its dream-like sound and emotionally-rich textures, just seems to punch you right in the gut upon every listen.

— Alex Roman